The Best Men's Bicycle Road Shoes

Road bike shoes are different. Most of them have a hard fiberglass sole designed to transfer energy from the cyclist's legs to the pedal. They fit tight and have user-friendly Velcro straps across the top for security and convenience. Some newer incarnations of road bike shoes include sandals and casual styles that make it easier to walk when not on the bike.

  1. Summer

    • Most serious road bikers demand performance from their cycling specific shoes. For this reason, the best road bike shoes are made from carbon-fiber, fiberglass, nylon and Velcro. The most efficient road bike shoes are made with an extremely hard sole with an cleat that protrudes from the center of the sole. This cleat makes the shoe very difficult to walk in when not on the bike, but provides excellent power transfer when clipped into specially designed pedals. The best road bike shoes also feature nylon mesh sewn in strategically to aid air flow through the shoe to keep the cyclist's

      feet cool.

    Winter

    • Real cyclists cycle all year. Even in winter. Most road bike shoe manufactures make a winter specific cycling shoe. These look like a small boot. The top of the shoe comes up over the ankle to keep the warmth in and the rain out. There are no cooling vents. The shoe is made from leather or synthetic leather with modern insulating products like Gore-tex, Thinsulate, fleece or even sheep's wool liners. They also feature a clipless system and fiberglass sole with a heel and a tread pattern to make it easier to walk in snow, mud or inclement weather.

    Hybrid

    • One of the newest additions to the road cycling footwear gear is the hybrid or casual category. These resemble sandals or even casual loafers and allow easy walking when not on the bike, but their soles are compatible with clipless pedal systems. This versatile design offers a good option for the bike commuters, or the casual rider who runs errands on his bike. They also work for road bike touring. When spending days out on a bike, you need a shoe that can go into a grocery store or restaurant without drawing too much attention.